Security system for banks



Dec. 3, 1968 v A. J. '01 GIACOBBEY. JR ,9

SECURITY SYSTEM FOR BANKS Filed July 7, 1967 V POWER SOURCE T Fi J " KH/I4 I /Z /6 2/ 1 ELL L? 1i??? i TIME DELAY sou/m: RELAY SOLENOID MOWSIDE DOOR L201 LATCH swim INVENTlE. f Aqua) d. Di G/acobbaJrr United States Patent 3,413,934 SECURITY SYSTEM FOR BANKS August J. Di Giacobbe, Jr., Jeannette, Pa. (111 Ivy Road, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15229) Filed July 7, 1967, Ser. No. 651,734 3 Claims. (Cl. 1096) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A vestibule structure for banks having an electrical system which will be operated by any one of the tellers which will entrap a bank robber so that he cannot escapel This system is provided with a foot switch which will activate a solenoid to close the outer doors of the establishment and a time delay relay incorporated in the circuit will then close the inner doors of the vestibule so that the bandit cannot re-enter the bank. The inner doors of the vestibule cannot be forced open while they are being closed by a motor which is set in motion by the time delay relay, and once the inner doors are closed, the solenoid latch on the inner doors locks them and prevents the escape of the bandit.

The invention relates to traps, and more particularly to a system to apprehend a bandit by entrapping him in the vestibule of the establishment.

It is therefore the main purpose of this invention to provide a security system for banks or the like which will have electrically controlled outer and inner doors within the vestibule area of the bank, the outer doors latching first by foot switch means at any one of the tellers cages, the inner doors being time delayed to close after the bandit has entered the vestibule area.

Another object of this invention is to provide a security system for banks which will also have warning light means in each of the tellers cages which will alert the other tellers to the fact that one of them has been robbed.

Other objects of the present invention is to provide a security system for banks which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, easy to use and efficient in operation.

These and other objects will be readily seen from a study of the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional plan view of the vestibule of a bank incorporating the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a rear view of a tellers window showing the arrangement of the operating buttons of the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is a schematic wiring diagram of the warning light system portion of this invention shown for a two-teller window bank; and

FIGURE 4 is a schematic wiring diagram of the door locking circuit of the invention.

According to this invention, a security system for banks is provided with a vestibule which is constructed so as to have vertical walls 11 made of bullet proof glass which is firmly attached to the outer wall 12 adjacent to the sidewalk 13. A pair of outer doors 14 made of similar material as walls 11 may be firmly latched by a means whereinafter which will be described. Walls 11 are also firmly secured within the interior of bank 15. A solenoid latch 16 fit in one of the outer doors 14 provides a positive means of locking doors 14 when desired. A pair of inner doors 17 are hingedly secured to walls 11 and one of them is provided with a solenoid latch 18. Foot switches 19 and 19 secured within the floor 20 are series wire within 3,413,934 Patented Dec. 3, 1968 the circuit of the invention in order to operate the solenoid latches 16, 18 in conjunction with time delay relay 20 and motor 21. The foot switches 19 and 19 are beneath the tellers floors 22, behind the tellers cages 23. A pushbutton switch 24 on the underside of drawer 22 provides a means for closing the circuit to lamps 25 which are wired in parallel.

In operation, when a bandit states that he wants money, the teller opens the drawer 22 and simultaneously presses the switch 24 which Will alert all tellers to stall their respective customers as long as possible, although this step of operation may be omitted most of the time. The teller then gives the bandit the money and as the bandit leaves and advances towards the vestibule 10,while the bandit approaches the doors, the teller activates foot switch 19 which will immediately cause the solenoid latch 16 to lock outer doors 14. In the meantime, time delay relay begins to function and operate door 21 which will then close the inner door 17 and will activate the solenoid latch 18 in order to securely lock inner door 17.

It will be noted that once the motor 21 starts to close doors 17, the bandit cannot force doors 17 open if they are not completely shut, thus preventing the bandit from re-entering the bank. As he will in any event try to open outer doors 14, he will realize that they are locked and that he is completely enclosed in an unbreakable prison. It shall further be noted that preferably for doors 17 and 14 they should be at least five feet apart from each other.

What I now claim is:

1. A security system for banks, comprising, in combination, a bullet proof glass vestibule, a pair of outer doors and a pair of inner doors carried by said vestibule providing apprehension means for a bandit, a plurality of foot switches providing activation ineans of solenoid latches of said doors, a time delay relay and a motor providing a means of closing the inner doors of said vestibule.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein each of said foot switches is series connected to the operating circuit of said system in order to close the solenoid latches of said system and said time delay relay is wired in series with said solenoid latch of said outside doors, and one side of said time delay relay is connected to the terminal of said motor which closes said inner doors and prevents the bandit from forcing said inner doors open when they are closing, and said time delay relay when operating said motor simultaneously activates the solenoid latch of said inner doors to thus securely lock them to prevent the escape of said bandit from the interior of said vestibule.

3. The combination according to claim 2 wherein said system is also provided with push-button switch means carried beneath the underside of the tellers drawers, said push-button switch serving to close a parallel wired circuit to signal lights, said signal lights being secured in the face of said doors to thus alert all of the tellers of said bank in order to allow said tellers to stall their respective customers while said bandit is being apprehended within said vestibule of said system.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,632,683 6/1927 Tracy 1097 1,768,092 6/1930 Alstadt 1096 1,915,735 6/1933 Helms 1097 2,560,410 7/1951 Brown 1096 2,079,824 5/1937 Smeaton 1097 3,068,810 12/1962 Kaloshin 1096 REINALDO P. MACHADO, Primary Examiner. 

